Lisle troupe brings Bard comedy to stage

In Shakespeare's comedy "Much Ado About Nothing," two headstrong individuals who have both sworn off marriage engage in a biting battle of insults that can lead to only one thing - everlasting love.

But before they can join their lives together, they must first unite their wit and wills to save a young girl's honor and teach her fiancé a lesson he won't forget.

Bard in the Burbs, a new Shakespearean theater troupe, brings "Much Ado About Nothing" to the stage for two weekends at Stacey De and Company, 1946 University Lane, Lisle. Performances begin at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 7 p.m. Sundays, May 4 -13.

"Our hope is that audiences will be reminded that the simplest things in this life - friendship, laughter and love - should never be taken for granted, and that even the most hardhearted of us has the freedom to be happy if we wish it," said Bard in the Burbs Artistic Director Sean Ogren, the play's co-director.

Ogren directed the troupe's recent production of "Hamlet" and Wheaton Drama's "The Elephant Man." His mother, Suzanne Ogren, is codirecting "Much Ado About Nothing."

The players in "Much Ado About Nothing" include Lisa Dawn as Beatrice, Jay Pastucha as Benedict, Christoper Picchione as Claudio, Tessa Newman as Hero, Matt Johnson as Don Pedro, and Tim Ahlberg as Dogberry.

Elyse Willis serves as production stage manager, Susan Hanjy is the costume designer and R.J. Ogren is the scenic artist.

Tickets, $10, are available online at bardintheburbs.org/scheduletickets/ or at the door prior to show time. Only cash will be accepted at the door.

The performance runs approximately 90 minutes, plus a 10-minute intermission.

Bard in the Burbs is a Lisle-based theater founded in 2016 that is dedicated to performing Shakespeare's plays and those of other great storytellers. The company strives to focus on the importance of the playwright's story, language and characters.